On Ice
by NatureG45
Summary: Skating with Natsu has it's pros and cons. Lucy discovers both.


Ice skating, it was like flying….but on the ground, if that made any sense. Whoever thought of sticking thin pieces of metal to the bottom of their shoes and gliding across the frozen earth was a genius, and Lucy thoroughly appreciated it.

Bundled up in a fluffy sweater, cozy pants, warm mittens and a thick scarf wrapped around her slender neck; there was no way the chill of winter was going to ruin her fun. Slipping on the pair of skates she rented, Lucy stepped onto the frozen rink.

The feeling of flight was instantaneous, and she relished the sense of weightlessness it gave her. Picking up speed, the spirit mage dashed around the circular pond, the crisp air biting her nose; adding to the sparkling scenario in her head. Twirling like a ballerina, Lucy let out a laugh. In this moment she was a child, nothing more nothing less, and it was perfect.

A sharp whistle invaded her ears and Lucy turned to see her partner-not as heavily clad as her(the only change from his usual outfit being a pair of brown boots and a black long-sleeved turtleneck)-holding high over his head two green Styrofoam cups.

Yes! He got the hot chocolate!

Lucy drifted over to the edge of the rink, his smiling face brought into view,

" I see you were having fun out there,"

He handed her the cup which she accepted gratefully. The steaming warmth seeped through her gloved hands and she sipped the scalding liquid carefully, not wanting to risk a burnt tongue. Natsu on the other hand gulped it down like it was water; with his resistance to being burned by the warm drink he didn't have to fear like she did.

The hot chocolate was just what she needed, Lucy could feel the warmth as it traveled down her throat and spread all over her body, absolutely delicious. The dragon slayer finished his beverage quickly, giving the empty cup an expert over the shoulder toss landing it in the nearby bin.

"You want anything else? The little shop had some doughnuts too"

A puff of heated air left the spirit mage's mouth, forming a white ball before her eyes.

"Nope, I'm good, "she drained the last of the drink and-like Natsu-gave a sports star worthy throw, landing it squarely in the bin, "Wouldn't want you to go all the way back just for a snack."

Natsu rolled his shoulders slightly in a shrug and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small (slightly smooshed) plastic package with a very noticeable sugary treat inside.

He noisily opened the wrapping with a lopsided grin and popped a piece of the confection into his mouth, "Ish you shay so, "he swallowed and broke off another piece, "this tastes pretty awesome." He continued to do so, tearing the doughnut into small chunks and (so obviously) teased her by making over the top expressions of pleasure brought on by the pastry.

"That kinda sucks, "he said cheekily," I mean look at this! It's glazed and it's got that nice chocolate icing on top. I'd say that this is the most perfect doughnut in existence! It's a pity there's only half left…"

OH, so that's how he wanted to play. Lucy could go along with this just fine, and win.

"That's great Natsu," she replied coolly," I hope you enjoy the rest of it since it's so tasty. "

His smile dropped slightly, her plan was working already. "You don't want any? Not even a teeny bit?"

The girl shook her hands vehemently, "OH no! I could never rob you of your snack! It would make me _so_guilty." Yes the pieces were falling into place.

Her partner (the poor soul) looked confused as whatever plan he had was slowly being broken down by a much better one.

He stood brainstorming, figuring out a counterattack in this doughnut scheme. It didn't matter though, Lucy would win either way.

Natsu-ever the sweetheart-held out the prize to the girl. "Here, you can have it"

"No Natsu I couldn't, it's-"

"Just take it, "he said, "I'll feel bad if I hold onto it any longer." The plan was a success.

She accepted the victory and it tasted all the sweeter, "You were right, this is a really great doughnut! Thanks Natsu!"

A grumbled "welcome" met her words, causing a giggle to escape her lips. Judging from his response, the dragon slayer had slipped into the act of being a grumpy child and-even though she shouldn't-she milked it just a little bit.

"Hey Natsu"

"Mmm?"

The girl dropped her voice to a slight whisper," I win"

"What!?"

"Nothing."

Lucy brushed away the few crumbs stuck to her wind-bitten cheeks, "Cheer up Grumpy face. I'll make it up to you if you want."

His features lit up at her words, "You gonna get me another doughnut?"

"No, but I am going to teach you how to skate."

"I'd rather take the doughnut. "

Natsu looked at the pond skeptically, "You sure that's gonna work out? I'll probably melt the thing if I stay out there too long."

"The ice is pretty thick," the girl gave a few good stomps to prove her point. Not a single crack appeared on the glass-like surface, "Completely safe, even from someone like you."

"That's what you said about the snow earlier too," he replied jokingly, "and I've already melted through that." Lucy looked down at his feet to see the truth in his words. The ankle high snowdrift he was standing in was reduced to a small puddle, lapping at his boot heels as it was being soaked up by the muddy soil.

"That's…discouraging, "she mused, "but we can still make it work."

"How?"

"Ten minutes. I'll teach you for ten minutes tops and then we can head off before you cause a meltdown, deal?"

His eyes flitted to the ice then to Lucy's face, "deal, as long as I don't get motion sick."

Another pair of rented skates later, Natsu was well on his way to perfecting the difficult art of falling on ice.

There was the forward-facing face-plant, the classic pratfall and (Lucy's personal favourite) the ever hilarious spread eagle form of the fallen angel. Now she_ knew_ that this wasn't teaching; and that she should get to that, but every time Lucy moved in to help he did another memorable tumble, causing her to erupt in a fit of uncontrollable sniggers each time.

The show-however-stopped short when the dragon slayer's frustration showed itself by means of narrowed eyes and a thin stream of flames that slipped out through clenched teeth. Lucy slid over to him and offered her hand,

"Let's get the lesson started shall we?"

Natsu grabbed her hand and pulled himself up with a grunt, a grave mistake. He grabbed onto her with a bit more force than anticipated and dragged his partner down with him. The girl laid sprawled out beside her partner, staring up at the cloudy winter sky,

" I don't think I like skating. "He stated miserably.

The ball was finally rolling now, with Natsu (after many failed attempts) triumphantly standing like a pro on the frosted area,

"Look at this Lucy! I'm finally getting the hang of it!" His wide eyes sparkled with pride at the tiny feat he accomplished.

A slight stumble made that bright smile falter somewhat, though it stayed upright like he did. "You actually have to skate, "Lucy reminded, "learning how to stand isn't really much to cheer about."

"Don't ruin this for me."

"I'm not. I'm just telling you there's more to it."

Holding out gloved hands, the girl instructed her partner on his next move, "Take my hands and I'll lead you. Try not to fall OK?"

Dropping heavy hands onto hers, his slender fingers tightened around her wrists, securing themselves in place. It started off with a push, a small motion that led to many mistakes. The first wobbly steps threatened to bring the pair to the ice, but that was forgivable. What wasn't forgivable was how he nearly stepped on her with his bladed shoe (how does one even do that?).

"This is a lot more difficult than I expected, "Lucy commented, "You are really horrible at this."

"Didn't you always say not to blame the student but the teacher?" the dragon slayer shot back. He raised an eyebrow alongside the question, "I'm right aren't I?"

Curse him, she did say that, but that quote didn't quite fit in this situation, not when she was the teacher. "Call me a bad teacher, "the girl huffed, "but at least I'm not the one who keeps-".

She stopped, something wasn't right. Her partner wasn't messing up, his movements were no longer wobbly and (thank god) there were no more attempts at slicing her foot in half. He was actually doing it.

"Skating, "Lucy whispered in amazement,"

"You say something Lucy?"

"You're skating Natsu! Don't you see? You finally learned how to do it!"

He looked down at his bladed shoes, no longer causing him faults, but instead carving a smooth path on the ice, "Would you look at that, I am skating."

"You don't have to sound so overjoyed. "She muttered. Slowly slipping out her gloved hands from under his, it was decided that her partner had reached the final stage, going it alone.

Still, she held onto his hand, "I'm going to let you go by yourself, is that OK?"

He scoffed; for someone who spent so much time kissing the ice he was pretty arrogant," I got it! I'm a master at this stuff!" The girl let go and-just as he said-stayed upright and maneuvered with a smug smirk,

"Told ya so."

Lucy rolled her eyes at him. He might've caught on to the last part rather quickly, but it didn't mean that he could boast like that.

Whatever, she can let his madness slide this time.

The dragon slayer skidded to a halt beside her, sending up slivers of chipped ice in the air, "Race ya round the pond!"

"You just learned and you want to race?"

"Gotta test my new skills somehow. Ready? Set, **GO**!" He shot off like a bullet before she could object to his idea.

Was she going to go along with this?Nope, and even if she did begin, he was almost finished with his lap(his speed was truly something to behold).To her,it was better to not start at all than to face a crushing defeat at the hands of someone like Natsu.

Already she could see the pout of disappointment on his face as he neared her,

"You didn't race with me, "he stated, "Were you afraid of my awesome talent?"

Lucy rolled her eyes "You're just a learner, you shouldn't be so cocky. But…. "A smile graced her lips, "You might've been a tiny bit awesome."

Natsu ran his fingers through the messy pink locks atop his head, obviously satisfied with her answer. "So what do we do now Lucy?" he asked. That was a good question, her role as teacher ended so what next?

Her partner must've come up with an idea, why else would he be poking her?

"Lucy I know what we can do!"

"Does it involved another race? "She replied sarcastically.

"Nah, but it's just as cool!" The dragon slayer held onto her hand and gave a sharp tug, pulling the girl towards him. She half-expected them to slam into the ice but Natsu held fast; with his arms wrapped around her and keeping her tight against his chest,

"Natsu, what are you-"

"Hugs, "he said simply, "hugs on ice." He stopped for a moment to think about what he just said and let out a few rolls of laughter, "Icy hugs."

Lucy snorted, this embrace was hardly icy, it was the furthest thing from was by far the warmest hug she had ever received. Natsu was like a pillar of heat, blocking out the winter breeze and giving off excess heat which the girl gladly soaked up. She let out a sigh of contentment and managed to wriggle out her arms that were caught between them and laid them to rest just above his waist. This was nice, and it got better.

They were moving, a slow drift that wasn't even noticeable at first, 'til they picked up a bit of speed before slowing down once more. Lucy turned her head, pressing an ear to his chest and listening to the relaxing thrum of his heartbeat,

"Since when did you become so suave? "She murmured. Natsu spun with her, a twist that surely caught her off-guard, and rested his chin atop her head,

"Just now I guess."

That's how the two ended up like that, wrapped up in one another. Gracefully drifting across the frozen pond, carving soft circles on its surface with the occasional burst of speed and a random twirl Natsu threw in just for chuckles. Of all the outcomes that could've occurred, Lucy would never have guessed this would happen. She figured that he'd end up melting through the ice halfway during the lesson. Speaking of which, she should probably remind of the time ,it could be pushed just a bit.

The smooth motions coupled with the warmth of an overheated body made her eyelids fall slightly and Lucy snuggled up to her partner, clinging to him for the sake of comfort. Natsu in turn, slumped forward slightly, pressing a bit of his weight onto her and (although she couldn't see) she was sure his eyes were closed.

"Luuuucy, "he drawled," I think I like skating now." "Glad to hear that. "He did another spin, making them both giggle.

"Lucy"

"Yeah Natsu?"

"We should get off the ice now."

"Why?"

"….I'm melting it."

The girl's eyes snapped open, drowsiness lost, "WHAT!?"

"Now don't freak but the ice is cracking."

She gazed down in horror to behold the predicament they were caught lines underneath their bladed shoes grew continuously, growing thicker the further out they went, breaking off into smaller cracks that grew just as quickly.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"You were enjoying yourself. "He answered as though that could make up for the situation they were in.

"I'm going to kill you when we get off 's just slowly make our way to the edge and-"

Too late! The frozen sheet broke into millions of shards, sending the pair for an unwanted dip. Icy cold liquid washed over them, trying to rob Lucy of the heat her body had worked so hard to accumulate.

This was…..you know what? She couldn't even describe how this was! It was amazing her brain was still functioning after receiving the _**"Melt your insides fluffy warmth to Mind numbing 'this is what **__**death feels like' cold**__"_transition. The girl desperately grabbed at the edge of the ice hole they created and nearly spat out several profanities as it broke off in her hands.

Yup, this is is how she went. Froze to death after being seduced by her partner the living fireball.

Alas, this was not her time yet. As fate would dictate, she would be saved by the cause of her troubles.

Strong arms hauled Lucy out of the water and onto what remained of the rink with a wet thump. Natsu followed shortly after, water streaming off him-dripping into his eyes which were bright with amusement. He was laughing (whether at her or the situation she couldn't tell) taken over by uncontrollable fits of delight as he crawled over to her.

He made it seem like he just stepped out of a pool with the way he was howling. "Lucy, "he gasped," I….wasn't really….going for that…but that was a real icy hug, wouldn'tcha say?"

A glare just as cold as how the girl felt told him it was best to be quiet. Lucy felt terrible; her clothes which held in warmth perfectly, apparently did the same when it came to the cold because it refused to let go of the water from their dip. If only her anger could warm her up, and as if it could get worse, a fresh wave of snow began falling from the sky.

Lucy dragged herself to her feet-shivering violently and teeth chattering-making way back to the inn with plushy blankets and soft pillows. Natsu (now completely dry, lucky him) kept pace beside her, trying to start a conversation, but honestly Lucy was too chilled to talk.

"Hey Lucy, sorry 'bout back there. But it wasn't my fault honest! "He scratched the back of his head, "Well maybe it was….."

"Lucy are you mad at me? "The girl chattered her teeth in response,

"You cold?" she nodded furiously.

"Why didn't you say so?" The dragon slayer ducked down behind her and scooped her up; one arm resting under her legs and the other supporting her back, "Ya gotta tell me these things. You know I'm real bad at telling when someone's cold."

It seems suave Natsu strikes again, catching her off-guard just like the first time.

"You feel any better now Lucy?" he asked curiously.

Well, her teeth were finally under control and her clothes were no longer soaked but damp, "It's an improvement from before, "she replied.

"So am I forgiven yet?"

"No."

The town was in plain view. Snow covered streetlights shone dimly as they stood beside the small homely cottages that made up the area.

"So what do I have to do to be forgiven?" Lucy pressed a finger to her lips in thought, "first, carry me back to the inn."

"And then what?"

"Mm mm….I'll make it up as I go along."

They trekked on in silence, listening to the crunching snowdrift beneath Natsu's boots. They received many odd looks from the townsfolk, all of whom either giggled girlishly or gave approving nods. These people obviously had nothing better to do.

"Hey Natsu, "Lucy said as they neared the inn's entrance, "I'm dry now-and thanks for that-but you think you could raise the temperature a bit? The cold's getting to me again."

"Maybe, or," a mischievous tone crept into his voice, "you could wait a little. "

She shifted in his arms to look at him properly, "Wait for what? Nature's trying to freeze me again Natsu!"

The dragon slayer lowered his head, a smirk visible on his lips before they brushed against here ear, "when we're inside, "He exhaled a warm breath and nipped the exposed skin, making her jump,

"that's when I'll turn the heat _**all**_ the way up."


End file.
